Meet the Team: Q&A with Jennifer
Get to know our senior event producer and communications strategist.
For more than 20 years, Jennifer has served faith-driven organizations through strategic communications, comprehensive event management and legacy planning. Step behind the curtain to learn more about Jennifer!
1. You’ve been in the communications field for over two decades. In an ever-changing landscape, what is the core “why” that keeps you passionate about this industry?
My interest in communications started at a young age through the world of musical theatre, then writing, which took me from high school yearbook to print journalism in college. But what keeps me in the industry is also what makes Guardian unique: the opportunity to put my communications skills to work for faith-driven organizations and causes. I genuinely don’t think I’d still be doing this if I were selling potato chips, though they sure are tasty!
2. What is a hobby that restores your energy and creativity after a full week?
I love theatre, whether I’m participating in a production, listening to cast recordings, watching a show on Broadway or following a favorite actor on Instagram. It sparks my creativity to see how others approach storytelling, and there’s always something fascinating to learn from those who bring intricate details to life through the set design, costumes and lighting.
3. Which communication essential is just as vital to a mission today as it was two decades ago?
Clarity has always mattered and always will, no matter how much everything else changes. The chatter is more intense and attention spans are shorter, but that doesn’t change the reality that your audience has to understand what you’re saying and why it matters. Clarity isn’t something you master once and then move on. You have to keep it at the forefront of your mind every time, in everything you communicate.
4. What is your current go-to podcast, and how is it sharpening your perspective right now?
I’m not a heavy podcast consumer, but when I do tune in, it’s usually to consume Christian living content: sermons, conversations with faith leaders or a resource like The Bible Recap. Those keep me grounded and growing in my own faith, which I think directly shapes how I serve our clients. The organizations we work with are on the frontlines of ministry. It helps to be spiritually invested in the same mission they’re pursuing.
5. What is one way that you think agencies can go above and beyond for their clients?
Listening, really listening, to our clients and remembering what they’ve shared will make us stand out. Everyone is eager to talk, but talking often just becomes noise. When we demonstrate we’ve listened by remembering our clients’ goals, concerns and excitement, they know we value more than just a transactional relationship.
6. What is one quote you live by?
My high school band director always said, “Excellence is not an event; it’s a lifestyle.” That paraphrase of Aristotle’s concept has influenced how I approach everything, from times when I’m front and center to (more often) when I’m behind the scenes handling the details no one else may notice.
7. As we integrate more AI and automation into our work, how do you ensure the “human touch” remains at the center of everything?
I aim to be intentional about adding that human touch. That means I ask a colleague or client how they’re doing before jumping into the agenda on a call, or I mail a handwritten note of congratulations instead of reacting to someone’s big news with a quick emoji. I may even need to prioritize the human element over efficiency, taking the time for a brief chat when a direct email may have been sufficient. Keeping that humanity forefront in my mind, I even use those principles when interacting with AI itself—being polite but not afraid to challenge its results—and I always double-check and edit whatever it gives me. (Yes, I used those em-dashes intentionally!)